PIRAEUS, Greece, June 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- NewLead Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: NEWL) ("NewLead" or the "Company") announced today that on June 3, 2014, NewLead received a Temporary Restraining Order against Ironridge Global IV, Ltd ("Ironridge") enjoining the issuance of further common shares of NewLead pursuant to its Series A Preference Shares. On June 11, 2014, the United States District Court, Southern District of New York ("Court") determined that a Preliminary Injunction against such further issuance was unavailable because, as a threshold matter, the Court lacked jurisdiction over Ironridge.
Last night, Richard Kreger of Ironridge advised NewLead that Ironridge would like to reinstitute funding. We advised Ironridge that NewLead will not accept any further funding, as NewLead previously provided a default notice and terminated the relationship because of Ironridge's numerous breaches, (including failure to provide necessary collateral). Any funds received from Ironridge will either be held as security for NewLead's damage claims in the arbitration, or returned.
Mr. Michael Zolotas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NewLead, stated "We believe that the Court should have accepted jurisdiction to prevent Ironridge from continuing to inflict harm on NewLead through its exercise of 'self-help', pending the outcome of the arbitration. However, we intend to vigorously defend our interests and pursue our claims for significant damages caused by Ironridge's many bad acts, breaches and misrepresentations. We remain concerned that Ironridge has been and will continue manipulating the stock of NewLead based on irregularities in Ironridge's disclosed and undisclosed brokerage relationships and have informed the relevant authorities of these concerns."
Michael Zolotas continued, "We urge other people who are considering whether to do business with Ironridge, and their affiliated principals, John Kirkland, Brendan O'Neil, Richard Kreger, and Keith Coulston, to carefully consider Ironridge's course of conduct with NewLead, as well as other companies who have instituted suits against Ironridge. While Ironridge presents itself as a long-term institutional investor on its website and in conversations with companies, its conduct has proven that it is unconcerned about the impact of its actions on the health of the company and solely concerned with its profit."
About NewLead Holdings Ltd.
NewLead Holdings Ltd. is an international, vertically integrated shipping, logistics and commodity company. NewLead owns three dry bulk vessels, one Handysize vessel and two Panamax vessels and manages three third party tanker vessels, two small bitumen tanker vessels and one Handysize MR product tanker. The Company took delivery of one of the three modern eco-type dry bulk Handysize vessels, the Newlead Albion on May 19, 2014 and expects to take delivery of the other two, one of which is newbuilding, between July and August 2014. The Company has also signed a term sheet for 75% financing to acquire two dry bulk Panamax vessels. Upon completion of the above acquisitions and together with the vessels under management. NewLead is expected to have a fleet of ten vessels, seven owned and three vessels under management. Furthermore, the Company owns a wash plant and a mine in Kentucky, USA and has been granted access to develop and mine another mine, that includes a CSX rail load facility, the Andy Rail Terminal, in Kentucky, USA. NewLead's common shares are traded under the symbol "NEWL" on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. To learn more about NewLead Holdings Ltd., please visit the new website at www.newleadholdings.com.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This press release includes assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions and beliefs about future events. These statements, as well as words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "plan," and "expect," are intended to be ''forward-looking" statements. We caution that assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions and beliefs about future events may vary from actual results and the differences can be material. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, such matters as the creditworthiness of our counterparties, the reliability of reserve reports, our ability to extract or acquire coal to fulfill contracts, the consummation of conditional contracts, future operating or financial results; our liquidity position and cash flows, our ability to borrow additional amounts under our revolving credit facility and, if needed, to obtain waivers from our lenders and restructure our debt, and our ability to continue as a going concern; statements about planned, pending or recent vessel disposals and/or acquisitions, business strategy, future dividend payments and expected capital spending or operating expenses, including dry-docking and insurance costs; statements about trends in the product tanker and dry bulk vessel shipping segments, including charter rates and factors affecting supply and demand; expectations regarding the availability of vessel acquisitions; completion of repairs; length of off-hire; availability of charters; and anticipated developments with respect to any pending litigation. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although NewLead believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, NewLead cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections described in the forward looking statements. Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including changes in charter rates and vessel values, failure of a seller to deliver one or more vessels, and other factors discussed in NewLead's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. NewLead expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in NewLead's expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.
Investor and Media Relations:
Elisa Gerouki
NewLead Holdings Ltd.
Telephone: + 30 213 014 8023
Email: egerouki@newleadholdings.com
SOURCE NewLead Holdings Ltd.